Since its launch in 2010 by co-founders Koel Thomae, Paul Mathewson, Grant Mathewson and Robert Graves, Boulder-based Noosa Finest Yoghurt -- using the common Australian spelling of the dairy treat -- has seen explosive growth.

"We had grown 500 percent year over year by the end of our last business quarter in 2011," Thomae said. "We're now projected to grow 150 percent this coming year."

Noosa, which takes its name from a picturesque town located on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia, is the brainchild of Thomae.

While visiting family in Australia in 2008, Thomae became enamored by the unique yogurt being produced by a local family. After some effort, Thomae was able to convince Australian brothers Paul and Grant Mathewson to bring their secret family recipe for yogurt to the U.S. That business has taken off with staggering popularity.

Noosa's first retailer was Whole Foods in the chain's Rocky Mountain division. By its fourth month in business, Noosa had struck a distribution deal with Kroger-owned grocery chain King Soopers. Deals with other national grocers such as Safeway and Super Target have followed.

"This is my first go-around being an entrepreneur, and I feel humbled at times by our success," Thomae said. "I just attribute it to the fact that (Noosa) is a great tasting product."

Thomae said that Noosa has been growing so fast that the company has "had to push back and say no" to some retailers and distributors simply because demand has outpaced production capacity.

"It's a challenge of self-manufacture," she said. "Scaling business up but still focusing on what we're good at, not getting distracted -- and not compromising our quality."

Noosa, which is now available in 34 states and is currently looking to expand into more by the end of the year, is made on site at Morning Fresh Dairy Farm in Bellvue.

"The cows are milked less than 50 meters away from where the yogurt is made, so we have a small environmental footprint. Their milk is also free of artificial growth hormones and preservatives." Thomae said.

Noosa's distinctively sweet flavor comes from the addition of honey, which is cultivated by Colorado's own Beeyond the Hive beekeepers. Beeyond the Hive is owned and operated by members of the Johnston family, who have been a staple in the Colorado honey business since 1908.

"One of (Noosa's) main reasons for going with us is that they knew that, unlike some other honey companies, the honey is coming directly from us -- the beekeepers, not a huge corporation," said Jacy Johnston, one of Beeyond the Hive's founders. "They want to support us local beekeepers."

"Working with Noosa has definitely pushed us closer to working at full capacity," Johnston said. "We've been able to keep up with their growth, and we'll keep growing with them. We plan on maintaining our relationship no matter how big they get."

Noosa plans on expanding its on-site manufacturing facility at Morning Fresh Dairy Farm by the end of July to keep up with demand.

"I don't sleep much these days," Thomae said. "We're a lean company. The sales team is essentially three of us. It's a lot of work, but it's so satisfying to see how excited people are getting about the product."

When the company began producing its yogurt in 2010, Thomae said Colorado consumers were their main focus.

"Colorado was our target market when we started. The state is a natural food hub," she said. "We wanted to fill a niche with something that had great flavor, and great health attributes."

The market for Noosa quickly expanded, and continues to do so. For now, Thomae said, "the Rocky Mountain region is still the strongest market for Noosa. But the Midwest is catching up."

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